The Brisbane-based powerhouse of Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted have labelled their brief stint in Victoria as a success, and they will look to close it out this Saturday at Flemington with two more victories.
With Uncommon James and Shooting For Gold winning black-type races at Caulfield and Scallopini running a brave second in the Bletchingly Stakes, the Eagle Farm trainers made the trip south more than worthwhile.
This Saturday at Flemington, Shooting For Gold will be out to win the Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m), while Scallopini is chasing The Sofitel (1400m).
Shooting For Gold bounced back to his brilliant best last start in The Heath over 1100m at Caulfield after having an unfortunate run in transit in the Aurie’s Star (1200m) at Flemington the start prior.
“We’re really happy with him,” co-trainer Matt Hoysted told HorseBetting.
“It was good to see him bounce back to his best there at Caulfield. Things didn’t really go to plan in the Aurie’s Star that first run down here in the sense that it was a small field, lack of tempo and he was sort of exposed and got himself a bit keen and over-raced. He wasn’t able to show that same turn of foot.”
HorseBetting’s Flemington Betting Tips & Quaddie Selections
Drawn barrier 17 and set to gain the services of star hoop Jamie Kah, Shooting For Gold should be able to find the right part of the track, but Hoysted holds some concerns that the flashy chestnut could be without cover in the early stages.
Despite those fears, the two runs under his belt should aid the horse in trying to settle, giving him every chance to repeat what he did last start.
“That’s another risk coming into Saturday,” the trainer said.
“It’s going to be in his favour being able to get to the better part of the track, but it’s just a bit of a risk if he was to not get cover early, but hopefully with these two runs down here under his belt, he can settle a lot better.
“It was a really good field that he was able to beat in The Heath, so he’s only got to replicate that run and you’d think he’ll be right in the finish here.”
Also lining up for the stable is eight-year-old warhorse Scallopini.
The consistent gelding has rarely put a foot wrong in his 37-start career, and the stable is confident he can bounce back after a torrid run in transit last start behind subsequent Feehan Stakes winner Mr Brightside.
In the PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m), Scallopini was forced to race wide throughout the event, which saw him tire late, but a perfect barrier (2) on Saturday should see a much more prominent showing in the Listed race.
“He’s bounced through that last run in really good order,” Hoysted said.
“Obviously a month between runs, he was able to have a little freshen on the back of that. We sent him out for a week and he’s come back in really good order. He’s feeling fantastic at the moment the old boy, and I really can’t fault him.
“The alley is key for him on Saturday. What brought him undone at Caulfield was not being able to have any cover – he had a really tough run – but that’s not going to be the case there Saturday.
“Although he’s got to lump a bit of weight compared to the likes of Pinstriped and Bermadez – they’re drawn a little bit awkward and he’s going to get the better run of those – and hopefully that can count late in the race.”
While they will be chasing more black-type in Melbourne, the stable has a strong hand at Doomben on Saturday, with two promising horses set to race.
Hoysted has labelled three-year-old gelding Prince Shalaa as their best winning hope in the opening race of the day, with the dual winner getting a number of boxes ticked in the 1350m encounter.
“He’s a really nice and progressive horse going forward,” he said.
“He’s still learning his craft and putting it all together – he’s definitely not the finished product yet – but a good gate, out to 1350m, I think those are all positives for him and he should be hard to beat on Saturday.”
HorseBetting’s Doomben Betting Tips & Quaddie Selections
Later in the day, Birriecart will resume following two very impressive barrier trials.
After starting his career with three straight wins, the son of Husson didn’t come on in the autumn, finishing sixth in the $500,000 QTIS 3YO Jewel behind Prince Of Boom.
Hoysted said they weren’t “100% happy” with the horse, so they opted to abort the campaign, tip him out and start again, which looks to have worked wonders.
With rain around Brisbane on Friday, they will be on weather watch, with a heavy track enough of a reason to wait for another day with the untapped four-year-old.
“He just didn’t come up to be honest,” Hoysted said.
“We weren’t really all that happy with his trials leading in for his standard and what we thought of him after that first prep. He ran below par there.
“We tried to trial him again and put a set of blinkers on him and just still wasn’t the same horse, so we weren’t 100% happy in that sense with how he was going, so we wanted to give him a nice break on the back of that and he definitely seems to have come back a lot better this time in.
“He’s a lot more mature horse and we saw that in his trial the other day.
“If we find ourselves getting into the heavy range, we probably wouldn’t be all that keen to be running him first-up on a heavy track.”
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